Justin Lin directing period drama pilot set in Hawaii

New series from Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield

Yeah, it's official -- Justin Lin is the busiest man in Hollywood. Here's news that he's attached to direct yet another project, a new Fox television pilot from Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield: Shawn Ryan/Justin Lin Period Drama Set In Hawaii Gets Fox Put Pilot Commitment.

Co-written by Ryan and Davey Holmes, the untitled project is period crime drama set in 1957 Hawaii, two years before the territory becomes the 50th state. It sounds pretty intriguing, and one hopes that setting the series in Hawaii will at least mean we'll get to see some API actor representation... right?

"Silly asians... always copying shit!"

Silly assholes... always saying stupid shit.



This one comes courtesy of Justin Mateen, Co-Founder and SMO of the wildly popular dating app Tinder, who took to Facebook to offer his unsolicited opinion on "Silly Asians." Thanks for the insight.

And the sweeping generalization about an entire race of people. Yeah, I get that it's supposed to be a joke. Funny though, after Valleywag pointed it out, the post in question seems to have been deleted or hidden from public view on Mateen's Facebook profile. Re-thinking that assessment, are we?

More here: Tinder Co-Founder: "Silly asians... always copying shit!"

Creepy camera crew harasses New York Comic Con attendees

Asshole producer uses SiriusXM credentials to conduct racist and sexist interviews.

Got this passed along to me from our friends at 18 Million Rising...

Last weekend at New York Comic Con, a guy named Mike Babchik snuck in to the convention using his credentials from SiriusXM, where he is a producer/on-air personality on the Mad Dog Sports Radio Show. But he didn't go to Comic-Con to geek out or cover the festivities -- he went to racially and sexually harass attendees.

You know, in the grand tradition of asshole jocks messing with nerds.

While he got in using his day job credentials, Babchik was actually there for his side hustle, a public access and internet show called "Man Banter." If that sets off douchetastic red flags for you, Babchik's behavior pretty much confirmed it, as he and his creepy camera crew spent the day conducting racist, sexist interviews.

One of the attendees he talked to was Diana M. Pho, a panel moderator at the convention, who blogged about her run-in with Babchik (he's referred to here as "TCI" -- "The Creepy Interviewer"):

Fall 2013 Family Style Open Mics at Asian Arts Initiative

Every Third Friday at Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia



Hey, Philly. The Asian Arts Initiative is kicking off a new season of monthly open mic nights. This Friday, October 18, the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) is hosting the first event. The line-up includes local singer-songwriter Umer Piracha, Indian classical dance company Usiloque Dance Designs, and the Unsung Theater Company will be some of the folks taking stage. Here's more information:

Boxers & Saints is a finalist for the National Book Award

Gene Luen Yang is the first author to be nominated twice for a graphic novel.



HUGE congratulations to our friend Gene Luen Yang, whose marvelous graphic novel Boxers & Saints has been nominated for the prestigious National Book Award. The finalists for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature were announced this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe, and Gene made the cut!

A Conversation with Lela Lee, October 19

Meet the creator of Angry Little Asian Girl



Hey, Los Angeles. Lela Lee, the mastermind behind the adorably awesome Angry Little Girls comic series, is coming to the Japanese American National Museum on Saturday, October 19 as part of its new exhibition, "Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986." The artist and author will be talking about her comics and their impact on Asian America and beyond. If you're a JANM member, you can also speak with her during the members-only meet and greet:

WTF Casting Call: Asian School Girls

Uh oh. Sounds like some screenwriter's sick Asian fetish gone crazy.

At this risk of giving this film project more attention than it deserves... what the funk is up with this? Got this casting call passed along to me for a feature film entitled Asian School Girls. That phrase probably conjures up some uncomfortable, skeezy imagery... but dude, it's even worse than what you can imagine.

The plot, as far as I can tell, is about a group of young Asian women who are drugged, raped and forced into sexual slavery. Vowing revenge upon on their captors, the girls all somehow learn self-defense and weaponry -- each adopting a lethal specialty -- and embark on the violent path of killing everyone responsible for their predicament. Sounds like some screenwriter's ugly Asian fetish gone crazy haywire.

Here are some more details about the roles, which will apparently require topless, rear, implied nudity and sexual situations. Of course:

C3: The Conference for Creative Content, October 26

Presented by Visual Communications



Hey, Los Angeles! Visual Communications presents the 3rd annual C3: The Conference for Creative Content, the premiere digital media and content conference happening October 26 at SAG-AFTRA.

C3 will shed light on the changing nature of entertainment media and allow larger audiences to connect with Asian American talent through a diverse array of panels, seminars and features approaching media platforms from all angles. This year, they've put together another great lineup that further expands the conversation.

Here's a brief trailer for the conference:

Job Opportunity: Lecturer in Asian American Studies

Responsible for teaching Hmong American Experiences in the U.S.

I got this academic job listing passed along to me, and figured one of you smart somebodies out there would be qualified for it...

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a looking for a lecturer in Asian American studies to teach a course next semester on Hmong American Experiences in the U.S. That sounds like it could be a pretty cool class.

Here are some more details on the position:

Roll Call! Preview the artists on CHOPS' Strength in Numbers

Featuring "more names than you can fit in your homie's Honda Civic."



On Sunday, I had the honor of meeting rapper/producer Scott "Chops" Jung, member of the pioneering hip hop group Mountain Brothers and the mastermind behind the upcoming music project Strength in NUMBERS.

For the past two years, Chops has been working on this epic collaboration bringing together dozens of emcees and singers from across the United States and beyond. Just thought I'd throw out another plug for their Kickstarter, because it's cool project that deserves some of your funding love.

Again, here's the video with the pitch:

Two charged in Hmong celebration shooting

Five wounded at traditional Hmong New Year's festival event in Tulsa

Over the weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, two men were arrested in connection with a shooting that left five people wounded at a traditional Hmong New Year's festival event: Boonmlee Lee and Meng Lee arrested in Tulsa mass shooting that left five wounded at Hmong celebration.

The shooting occurred at a private party in the Tulsa Event Center, while attendees were lineup for dinner. According to police, two victims were shot in the torso and the other three had wounds to their arms and legs. The shooting was apparently part of some kind of personal vendetta.

21-year-old Boonmlee Lee and 19-year-old Meng Lee, who are apparently counsins, were each charged with five counts of shooting with intent to kill, in addition to firearms charges. Police reportedly tracked the suspects in their car, where one of the men was stripped down to his underwear in an attempt to change his clothes.

Taiwan is crazy for Jeremy Lin. The feeling is mutual.

Some highlights from the Houston Rockets' trip to Taiwan.



You might have heard that Jeremy Lin was in Taiwan with the Houston Rockets to play a preseason game against the Indiana Pacers. You might have also heard that he kicked some butt on the court and made quite a showing for his Taipei fans, who were out in full force. Houston topped Indiana, 107-98, and Jeremy finished with 17 points on 6 for 8 shooting, including 3 for 4 three-pointers, with four assists, three steals, two rebounds. Oh, and one nice dunk. Here's a brief video with some highlights from the game:

WTF: This music video makes me hate Chinese food. And pandas.

A pop star wannabe, a creepy panda, and a racist, kid-friendly ditty about "Chinese" cuisine.



What the hell did I just watch? From the forces of evil that unleashed Rebecca Black's "Friday" upon the world, here is the godawful music video for "Chinese Food" by pop star wannabe Alison Gold. Who? Yeah, exactly. The video really defies description (and coherence) but it's sort of a G-rated, culturally-inappropriate, tween-friendly foodie celebration of Orientalist imagery. Yes, this video is real.

Check it, this pop hit in the making includes Mongolian barbecue, hot sauce, geishas and an extremely creepy panda man flying away on rainbow power. As you can see, you don't need scantily clad women to exoticize and objectify Asians -- kids can get in on the racist fun too! Just watch it once and be done with it:

The Avengers re-imagined as Chinese opera heroes

Awesome art by Gene Luen Yang



Just have to share this awesome art that I got in the mail the other day... These are the Mighty Avengers -- Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor -- re-imagined as Chinese opera heroes. It's the work of graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, whose latest book Boxers & Saints was recently long-listed for the National Book Award.

Pretty darn cool. I'm hanging it up on my wall! Want one? If you're in the Austin, Texas area, Austin Books & Comics has exclusive, limited-edition prints of Gene's Chinese Opera Avengers drawing for $20. You can also order it from the Guzu Gallery Official Online Store.

Here's a closer look at the characters:

An Open Letter from the Asian American Community to the Evangelical Church

On cultural insensitivity and reconciliation in the church



This has been a long time coming... Recent incidents of repeated, offensive racial stereotyping of Asians in the evangelical Christian church have compelled a group of Asian American leaders to come together and speak out against this growing gap in the church's understanding and pursuit of racial reconciliation.

I've covered a number of these incidents here over the years, from VBS curriculum, to youth skits, to general Christian trade books, in which Asians have been mocked, caricatured and stereotyped in the name of... I don't know what. Jesus? I didn't see a whole lot of Jesus in any of those things.

Most recently, well-known Christian leader Rick Warren posted an image of a Chinese Red Guard on Facebook, in a failed attempt at humor. When it was pointed out why this imagery might be culturally insensitive, he was dismissive, ultimately issuing one of those perfunctory sorry-if-you-were-offended non-apologies.

And last week at Exponential West, a popular Christian conference attended by thousands, programming included a video featuring a white person mimicking Asian accents and kung fu fighting (do I really have to describe this further?), prompting criticism from Asian American attendees. Organizers have since apologized and promised to remove the video from future conference content.

All of this, and the mounting concern over the church's troubling treatment of Asian Americans and Asian culture, have prompted leaders to draft and post An Open Letter to the Evangelical Church from the Asian American Community, to draw awareness and dialogue to the situation.

Here's the letter:

Read These Blogs

Man Of The Hour: Guess who's baack? Some analysis and observations from the Houston Rockets' 107-98 preseason victory -- in which Jeremy Lin kicked some ass -- over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Taipei.

Q&A: The Directors of Linsanity Talk About Their New Film, Taiwan, and February 4, 2012: A Grantland interview with producer Brian Yang and director Evan Jackson Long on their documentary film Linsanity.

Asian-Americans troubled by stereotypes from white evangelicals: Asian American Christians are voicing concerns over how they're depicted by white evangelicals, most recently in a video shown at a conference hosted by Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Southern California.

An Open Letter to Asian American Parents: Higher education consultant Vijay Pendakur shares a very important list of Five Things Asian American Parents Need to Know in Order to Raise Asian American Children that are Critically Race Conscious.

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

1. Aziz Ansari goes to Hong Kong, gets schooled on the proper way to eat a pineapple bun

2. Girl rocks the guzheng with "Sweet Child o' Mine" cover

3. File Under Badass: Malala Yousafzai on The Daily Show

4. Undercover detective charged in motorcycle mob attack

5. Could Dami Im become the first Asian Australian pop star?

6. Get happy with Jane Lui's cover of "Listen to the Music"

7. Wei Chen wins the Peace First Prize

8. Pvt. Danny Chen's life and death to become an opera

9. Reality show casting call seeks Asian American families

10. Unpaid interns are not protected from sexual harassment

Shout out to all the DC folks coming to APA Film's panel on Stereotypes in Hollywood, happening this Sunday, October 13 Goethe-Institut Washington. The event is apparently all filled up, but you can still get yourself added to the wait list. Hope to see you there!

Angry Reader of the Week: Wei Chen

What's up, good people? It is my pleasure to introduce the latest Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Wei Chen.

Can you loan me $800? I need to buy this Bruce Lee statue.

40th Anniversary Bruce Lee Limited Edition Statue by Blitzway



This is only for ultimate Bruce fans... Got 800 bucks to burn? Then check out this incredible limited edition Bruce Lee Limited Edition Statue by Blitzway, commemorating the 40th anniversary of his passing.

This is one hell of a figure, like a miniature Bruce just walked off the set of Game of Death. Standing at 28 inches tall, and crazy lifelike right down to the bruises on his face, the statues comes complete with perfect replications of the yellow jumpsuit, shoes, nunchaku and bamboo cane. Damn.

Here's a video with more views of the statue's details:

Unpaid interns are not protected from sexual harassment

Intern alleges harassment but can't file a claim because she wasn't a paid employee.

Let's be real -- it sucks to be an unpaid intern. We can argue the merits of gaining experience versus the toil of unpaid grunt work, but nobody enjoys not getting paid. And on top of that, it apparently means not being able to bring a sexual harassment claim against your employer.

Last week, a New York federal district court ruled that Lihuan Wang, a former intern at Phoenix Satellite Television, could not bring a sexual harassment claim under New York human rights laws because she was not compensated, and therefore not considered an employee: Unpaid interns not protected from sexual harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Wang was interning at the Chinese-language media company's New York office when her supervisor and bureau chief, Zhengzhu Liu, sexually harassed her after luring her to his hotel room with the bullshit excuse of wanting to talk about her job performance and the possibility of hiring her full time:

File Under Badass: Malala Yousafzai on The Daily Show

16-year-old stood up to the Taliban, schools Jon Stewart.



On Tuesday, Comedy Central's The Daily Show welcomed 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai, one of the most badass people to walk this earth, for one the most inspirational television interviews ever.

A year ago, Malala was shot in the head by a gunman after her public fight for the right of girls to get an education put her in the crosshairs of the Pakistani Taliban. But she survived. Today, she is the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and her memoir, I Am Malala is out this week.

Like I said, badass. Watch this extended, unedited interview as host Jon Stewart is visibly moved, humbled and at points left speechless by this courageous young woman:

Reality show casting call seeks Asian American families

In search of "multi-generational, affluent, Asian American families."

Got this casting call sent my way for a potential reality television show that's looking for "multi-generational, affluent, Asian American families."

I don't know much more beyond that -- heck, maybe they're trying to make the reality TV version of Crazy Rich Asians -- but it's being produced by High Noon Entertainment, which has had shows the Travel Channel, AMC, TLC, Discovery Channel and the like, so it's legit. Infer what you will.

Here's some more information on what they're looking for:

AAPI Voters Overwhelmingly Support Immigration Reform

Tell Congress to strengthen family reunification in comprehensive immigration reform.



Haven't our families waited long enough? Just sharing this infographic, created by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, in support of commonsense and compassionate immigration reform that reunites families and creates a path to citizenship. For further information, and to learn how you can get involved in the fight for immigration reform, join the Reuniting Families Campaign. #AAPIS4CIR

Undercover detective charged in motorcycle mob attack

Police have now arrested six bikers in connection with the assault on Alexian Lien.



Another update on the crazy biker chase beatdown... This case has had so many weird developments and multiple suspects -- including several friggin' undercover cops -- it's hard to keep up.

An undercover police detective and another man were arrested Tuesday in connection with the motorcycle mob attack on driver Alexian Lien, who was dragged from his car and beaten by a group of bikers last week in Manhattan: Undercover Cop Among Latest Arrests In Manhattan Motorcycle Melee.

For those who are not quite up to speed with this story, the abridged version... A motorcyclist, riding with a pack, brake-checks a Range Rover and gets hit. Bikers surround the SUV. The driver -- who's with his wife and 2-year-old daughter -- takes off, plowing through several motorcycle riders and sparking a crazy pursuit on the West Side Highway. Driver gets chased down, pulled out of his car and beaten in front of his family.

For your reference, here's the helmet-cam video that got everybody's attention. And here's new video that catches the tail-end of the assault, with Lien left beaten and bloody on the ground:

Could Dami Im become the first Asian Australian pop star?

Powerhouse performer is the fan favorite to win Australia's X Factor.



The internet continues my education of televised reality singing competitions. This is a great story from down under, where contestant Dami Im has been kicking ass on the Australian version of The X Factor. Week after week, the 24-year-old Korean Australian music teacher from Queensland has been wowing the judges and winning the hearts of viewers with her powerhouse performances. Here's a recap of her superstar-making season so far...

Get happy with Jane Lui's cover of "Listen to the Music"

Doobie Brothers and dorky dancing on the streets of San Francisco.



Man, I adore Jane Lui. Not only is she one of my favorite musicians, she's also got some moves. Feeling a little down? I guarantee that this gorgeous little video cover of the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music" will pick you up. Of course, some dorky dancing doesn't hurt either. And baby, there is plenty of dorky dancing in this video to go around. Check it out:

Enter the "Advancing Justice is..." Photo Contest

Win a free registration to the Advancing Justice Conference, November 14-16 in Los Angeles.



The 5th Advancing Justice Conference, the first and only national conference that focuses on civil rights and social justice in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, is happening November 14-16 in Los Angeles. Want to win a free registration? Then enter the "Advancing Justice is..." Photo Contest.

All you have to do is print out the "Advancing Justice is..." sign, fill in your response and send in a photo of yourself holding up the sign by October 11. They'll post an album of the photo submissions, and you'll have the opportunities to drum up "likes" for your photo. Winners will get a free registration to the Advancing Justice conference. Here are some more details:

Aziz Ansari goes to Hong Kong, gets schooled on the proper way to eat a pineapple bun

"Now I'm that brown guy who ripped the buns apart."



I'm enjoying the recently launched Esquire Network's new travelogue show The Getaway, in which interesting personalities are dropped into world cities and tear it up. Basically, it's a really nice excuse for celebrity folk to eat and drink and eat some more. Last week's episode featured comedian Aziz Ansari exploring the sights and tastes of Hong Kong. And damns, it made me hungry.

Here's a clip of Aziz hanging out with food blogger Nicole Fung at the Kam Wah Cafe, one of Hong Kong's most famous teahouse. He gets schooled in the proper way to eat a pineapple bun -- don't rip it apart, dude -- from the restaurant's watchful host, Mrs. Chan. And people, you do not want to cross Mrs. Chan:

Are Chinatowns disappearing?

Join AALDEF for a briefing on gentrification in Philadelphia, Boston and New York Chinatowns.



For more than a century, Chinatowns have been home to immigrant families, and an essential part of our Asian American heritage and history. But Chinatowns on the East Coast are on the verge of disappearing.

In the first-ever study of its kind, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund embarked on a three-city land-use study of Chinatowns in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, and found that in each city, city governments accelerated gentrification in these neighborhoods. Government policies were directly tied to the fact that White populations are growing faster in Chinatowns than they are overall in all three cities.

On Wednesday, October 9, join AALDEF for a webinar presenting its findings with the report authors, community organizers, and affected citizens. Here are some more details:

One-on-One with Linsanity director Evan Jackson Leong

Behind-the-scenes documentary tells the amazing underdog story of Jeremy Lin



The weekend box office was good to the Linsanity team. The indie documentary feature scored big, earning $103,000 on just nine screens, with a per-screen average of $11,444 -- second only to overall box office winner Gravity, which averaged $15,538 on 3,575 screens. I'd say that's a big win: Specialty Box Office: 'A Touch Of Sin' Capitalizes On New York Film Festival Buzz, 'Linsanity' Docu Solid.

I thought this might be a good opportunity to repost my Sound and Fury podcast conversation with Evan Jackson Leong, director of Linsanity. He drops some interesting details on forging a relationship with Jeremy Lin, getting the inside track on "Linsanity" and the long, patient road to making the documentary. Here are some cuts from our conversation...

Pvt. Danny Chen's life and death to become an opera

From playwright David Henry Hwang and composer Huang Ruo



The story of Pvt. Danny Chen, the Chinese American soldier who was found dead with a bullet to his head after enduring relentless hazing and racial harassment from his fellow soldiers, is set to become an opera from playwright David Henry Hwang: Victim of Military Hazing to Be Immortalized in Opera.

The Washington National Opera has commissioned a one-hour opera based on the life and death of Private Chen, entitled An American Soldier. Written by Hwang and composer Huang Ruo, the work is an attempt to fuse high culture with social awareness about the tragedy behind Danny Chen's death:

Girl rocks the guzheng with "Sweet Child o' Mine" cover

This is rock and roll on 21 traditional Chinese strings.



Thank you to all the folks who have sent this my way. Many of you are apparently fans of both Guns N Roses and traditional Chinese instruments... Check out this dope video of Vancouver musician Michelle Kwan -- not to be confused with the world champion American figure skater -- rocking a kickass cover of the hard rock classic "Sweet Child of Mine" on the guzheng. Complete with the Axl Rose bandana/sunglasses combo:

Wei Chen wins the Peace First Prize

South Philadelphia High School activist wins $50,000 fellowship.



"We were once victims; now we are organizers."

Wow! A huge congratulations to Wei Chen of Philadelphia, one of ten young people to receive the inaugural Peace First Prize, a $50,000 fellowship that honors young people who are engaged in peace-making projects and positive change in their communities: Peace prize for anti-violence student leader.

You might remember Wei -- he was an instrumental activist during a weeklong student boycott in response to the racial violence at South Philadelphia High School four years ago. As a young student, he organized fellow immigrant youth to speak out against racial harassment and violence at his school.

Wei, 22, is currently an organizer of Asian Americans United in Philadelphia, leading workshops and training at schools that include the history of discrimination and social justice. The $50,000 fellowship will allow Wei to focus solely on organizing Asian youth in Philadelphia.

Here's a video with more, in Wei's own words, on what drives his work around anti-bias violence:

Read These Blogs

'Linsanity': For Asian Fans, It Felt Just Like 'Young Love': Our friends Jenny Yang and Jeff Yang (no relation) were on NPR, remembering that sweet moment of "Linsanity" like it was yesterday.

The Legacy of Linsanity: A Conversation With Jeremy Lin: Slate interviews Jeremy Lin about Linsanity, the feature-length documentary about his humble beginnings, hoop dreams, the unprecedented winning streak with the New York Knicks that made him a household name.

5 questions for NBA star Jeremy Lin: CNN speaks to Jeremy Lin about how his faith sustains him, what he learned from Linsanity, and how he responds to racism.

Jeremy Lin and the End of Asian Americans?: In light of the global phenomenon that was Linsanity, Frank H. Wu became increasingly curious about what "Asian Asians perceive of Asian Americans."

This Week's Angriest Posts

Not necessarily the angriest, just the most viewed.

1. Driver chased down by angry mob of motorcyclists

2. Family of SUV driver in motorcycle chase speaks out

3. My Favorite Racist Costumes From the Fun World Catalog

4. Tiësto goes to Korea, can't resist tweeting dog-eating jokes

5. Tessanne Chin spins all four chairs on The Voice

6. Man arrested in connection with motorcycle mob chase

7. Why The Jeremy Lin Story will star Philip Seymour Hoffman

8. The Crazy Biker Chase Case Gets Crazier

9. Weird-Ass Craigslist Posting, Part 23: "Looking for Small Asian Female Multi-Instrumentalist"

10. Mr. Lin's Extreme Workout

The documentary Linsanity is now in theaters. See you at the movies.

APA Film's Free Fall 2013 Series

This is for all you film fans in Washington DC... APA Film presents the 2013 Free Fall Series, featuring screenings, performances and panel discussions. Lots of good stuff going down, including a screening of Arvin Chen's Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Megumi Nishikura and Lara Perez's Hafu, and Nadine Truong's Someone I Used to Know, so check the schedule and make plans. It's all free, but you have to RSVP to reserve your spot.

I want to specifically point you to the panel discussion on APA Stereotypes in Hollywood I'll be taking part on Sunday, October 13 with Kat Chow, Stephen Dypiangco, Simone Jacobson and Aaron Takahashi. Here are some more details about the event:

The Crazy Biker Chase Case Gets Crazier

Several suspects identified... plus an undercover cop(!) at the scene.



More developments in the crazy biker chase road rage incident on the West Side Highway...

Police have reportedly identified one of the prime suspects directly involved in dragging driver Alexian Lien from his SUV and beating him: New York road-rage suspect identified in beating of SUV driver.

Also, the biker who allegedly opened the SUV's door at an earlier point during the chase, is now in custody.

Meanwhile, an off-duty undercover detective has informed Internal Affairs that he was present at the time of the confrontation between the bikers and Lien: Another in custody, undercover cop among bikers.

If you haven't been following what went down last Sunday, the abridged version: A motorcyclist, riding with a pack, brake-checks a Range Rover and gets hit. Bikers surround the SUV. The driver -- who's with his wife and 2-year-old daughter -- takes off, plowing through several motorcycle riders and sparking a crazy pursuit on the West Side Highway. Driver gets chased down, pulled out of his car and beaten in front of his family.

For your reference, here's the helmet-cam video.

Angry Reader of the Week: PaKou Her

All right, folks. You know what time it is. It's time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is PaKou Her.

George Takei + John Cho = ULTIMATE SULU

Oh my.



Who is the better Sulu -- George Takei or John Cho? Wait, don't answer. That's a cruel question. There is no need to choose! As you can see, this super-weird photo gives you both Sulus at the same time!

It's from a strange series of images that morph the current Star Trek movie actors with their original series counterparts. So if you've always wondered -- and really, who hasn't? -- what would happen if the two Hikaru Sulus were combined in some kind of space-time splicing transporter accident, this is what you'd get.

(Thanks, Min.)

Do you know this bank robber?

Asians behaving badly... bank robbery edition!

Bay Area, have you seen this bank robber? In Fremont, police are searching for an Asian or Pacific Islander woman who robbed a bank on Wednesday afternoon: Police seek woman who robbed Fremont bank.

The Fremont Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying a female suspect who entered the Patelco Credit Union at about 1:45 pm, robbed a teller of an undisclosed amount of cash, and left the bank on foot. No one was injured, and no weapon was seen or used during the robbery.

The suspect is described as Asian or Pacific Islander, standing about 5 foot 8 and weighing about 170 pounds with dark brown hair that was pulled back. She was wearing large framed sunglasses, a white T-shirt, blue sweatpants, blue boxer shorts, that were partially visible, and red and white shoes.

Anyone who has information about the suspect is encouraged to contact Detective Travis MacDonald at Tmacdonald@fremont.gov or the Investigative Unit at 510-790-6900. You can also submit an anonymous tip via Nixie or at fremontpolice.org/tip.

Why The Jeremy Lin Story will star Philip Seymour Hoffman

Totally Biased's Kevin Kataoka drops some knowledge on Hollywood, Asians, and the lack thereof.



Tom Hardy will star in The Outsider, an "epic story" set in post-World War II Japan about a former American G.I. who becomes part of the yakuza. Yay. Another movie about a white guy's adventures in Asia. (The wrinkle with this one is that it marks the Hollywood English-language debut of prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike.)

What's up with that? Here's Totally Biased writer Kevin Kataoka, talking about Hollywood's popular practice of making movies about Asian subject matter... starring someone who is not Asian. Y'all know what I'm talking about. I've been saying it for years. And Kevin knows what's up too: Asian Evasion.

Tiësto goes to Korea, can't resist tweeting dog-eating jokes

"Wonder if thy have McDog at McDonald's here as well"



Electronic music artist Tiësto is currently on tour, making his way through Asia. Last night he was in Seoul... which, of course, meant he had to make a Twitter joke about eating dogs. He just could not resist! I mean, you're an asshole DJ dude in Korea, so that's what you have to do, right? I wonder how long he waited before he got off the plane. First the tweet above, then followed up with this one to his 2 million+ followers:

Weird-Ass Craigslist Posting, Part 23: "Looking for Small Asian Female Multi-Instrumentalist"

"Must have a bowl haircut."



Calling all small Asian female musicians. Yet another Craigslist freak seeks your services. This weirdo want-ad for a musician was posted the other day, specifically looking for a "small Asian female multi-instrumentalist" for a rock gig. But don't worry! You don't actually have to know how to play a single note -- "just smile a lot and act like you do and the crowd will believe you have superior skills with your instrument."

Here's the full text of the ad, which gets more and more ridiculous with each requirement:

Family of SUV driver in motorcycle chase speaks out

Charges against second biker dropped, while another is in coma.



More on that crazy road rage motorcycle altercation that went down last weekend in Upper Manhattan, where a pack of motorcyclists chased down Alexian Lien, dragged him out of his Range Rover and attacked him in front of his wife and 2-year-old daughter. So far, two bikers have been arrested in connection with the incident, but the investigation is ongoing.

By now, you've seen the video.

28-year-old Christopher Cruz, the guy who can be seen cutting off and getting bumped Lien's SUV at the start of the incident, was arrested for his role in the initial accident. He was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, endangering the welfare of a child and menacing.

A second biker, 42-year-old Allen Edwards, turned himself into police. He's the guy in the video pounding on the SUV with his hands as another rider smashes the driver's side window with his helmet. Edwards originally faced charges of reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and menacing, but the charges against him have reportedly been dropped pending further investigation.

Another rider, 32-year-old Edwin Mieses, is in a coma after suffering broken legs, broken ribs and a broken spine that may ultimately leave him paralyzed. He and another biker were struck by the SUV when Lien hit the gas and fled the scene of the accident. Mieses has hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred.

Meanwhile, the Lien family has a released a statement through their attorneys:

Artists at Play presents Cowboy Versus Samurai

September 26 - October 20 at Inner-City Arts



For all you theatre fans in Los Angeles, don't miss your chance to see Artists at Play's marvelous production of Michael Golamco's Cowboy Versus Samurai, now running through October 20 at Inner-City Arts in downtown Los Angeles. Director by Peter J. Kuo and featuring Feodor Chin, Julia Cho, Daniel Vincent Gordh and West Liang, the play is a clever and poignant re-telling of Cyrano de Bergerac with an Asian American twist. Here are some more details about the show:

Spring Internships at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Apply by October 15

Hey, students! Looking for an internship? How about interning for the White House? The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Washington DC offers part-time and full-time internships during spring and fall semesters and full-time internships during the summer. So heads up, the deadline to apply for the upcoming spring session (January through May) is coming up on October 15.

Interns at the Initiative are responsible for assisting the staff in researching a wide range of AAPI issues, including education, health, sustainable neighborhoods, economic development, civil rights, and labor and employment. In addition, interns will help write policy memos and proposals, coordinate events, and conduct outreach to national and local AAPI organizations, elected officials, and ethnic media outlets.

To apply for the internship, you must be at least 18 years old, enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited academic institution and authorized to work in the United States. Here are some more details about eligibility and application requirements:

The Future is Now. Deltron 3030 returns with Event II

Thirteen years in the making.



The wait is over. The future is here. Deltron has landed. The much-anticipated follow-up to Deltron 3030, the mad genius sci-fi hip hop concept collaboration from Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala, has finally dropped. Event II is now available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. And it kicks much ass.

As advertised, the album continues Deltron 3030's out-of-this-world, technophobic sci-fi narrative, with an eclectic roster of assorted featured guests, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Zach De La Rocha, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, The Lonely Island, Black Rob, Damon Albarn and more.

Here's the trippy, post-apocalyptic music video for "City Rising from the Ashes":

Doctoral student charged in fatal stabbing of ex-girlfriend

University of Illinois math student Yongfei Ci is accused of killing Mengchen Huang in her apartment.

Damn. Some frightening news out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where a man was arrested for fatally stabbing a student in her apartment: Stabbing victim identified as U. of I. student from China.

29-year-old Yongfei Ci, a mathematics doctoral student from China, was arrested Friday in connection with the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend Mengchen Huang, a graduate student in the School of Art and Design.

According to authorities, Ci forced his way into Huang's apartment and held her and her roommate against their will, binding both women with duct tape. While the roommate was tied up and locked in the bathroom, Ci stabbed Huang in the throat at least three times and slit her throat before fleeing.

The roommate was able to free herself and call 911. Police tracked Ci to a nearby motel where he ultimately surrendered without incident.

Mr. Lin's Extreme Workout

"If he can do the hook shot, I believe he can be a NBA superstar."



Ever wonder how Jeremy Lin got his basketball skillz? Lots of hard work and hustle... and a very specific training regimen prescribed by his father, Mr. Gie-Ming Lin. The unorthodox (and rather messy) workout involves blindfolds, eggs, water balloons, and of course, the hook shot. So get focused, and watch and learn some fundamentals from Papa Lin's Extreme Workout:

REMINDER: Dis/Orient/ed Comedy in Portland, October 5

Pre-sale code STAYANGRY extended to Wednesday midnight.



A quick reminder to all you folks in Portland looking for some laughs... This Saturday, join our funny friends for Dis/orient/ed Comedy, an all-female Asian American comedy showcase featuring Katie Nguyen, Mona Concepcion, Jenny Yang, Atsuko Okatsuka and D'Lo. It's going down Saturday at the Helium Comedy Club.

Want a discount? Use the promo code STAYANGRY to shave a few bucks off your ticket price. (The pre-sale code has been extended to Wednesday midnight.) For further information about the show, and to order your tickets, head over to the Disoriented Comedy website. Have fun.

#GetCovered: Health Care, Open Enrollment and AAPIs

Why is health care important to you?



Today's the day. As you may have heard, open enrollment for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") begins today. What does this mean for our community?

First, here's a handy infographic, courtesy of our friend Karthick Ramakrishnan of AAPI Data, breaking down what the new health reform law means for two million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

Man arrested in connection with motorcycle mob chase

Police are asking for the public's help identifying two bikers wanted for assault.


A motorcyclist brake-checks a Range Rover, gets hit. Bikers surround the SUV. The driver -- who's with his wife and 2-year-old daughter -- takes off, plowing through several motorcycle riders and sparking a crazy pursuit on the West Side Highway. Driver gets chased down, pulled out of his car and beaten in front of his family.

Police have arrested a motorcycle rider in connection with the crash that set off the whole thing: NYC Motorcyle Attack: Christopher Cruz, 28, arrested in connection with road rage incident involving SUV.

28-year-old Christopher Cruz, the guy who can be seen on video cutting off Alexian Lien's SUV at the start of the incident, was arrested for his role in the initial accident. He was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, endangering the welfare of a child and menacing.